Second Choice
by altavistarules
Summary: What if Rory came home when Lorelai and Chris were arguing about the character reference?


Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.

A/N: I posted this on BWR a while back as a response to a challenge. Thought I may as well post it here too.

**SECOND CHOICE**

Holding her phone to her ear and the tray of coffees in her left hand Rory opens the front door with her right. "Yeah...Yep," she says quietly before Paris continues her monologue. As she puts the phone into her right hand she hears voices come from the kitchen.

She hears her mother's voice say, "No, it's a favour Luke asked, because he needed..."

Her interest peaked she pockets her phone leaving Paris to her even more one sided conversation.

"You know what, before you go through a whole list of excuses, let me just ask.....is our marriage, for you, basically just marking time?"

Rory can't help but wonder about his question.

"What?"

What should she do? Make her presence known, leave or should she give into her nosey side and eves drop.

"Oh, come on, Lor."

Not understanding why she can't bring herself to do either of the former she finds herself staying put and listening in.

"Of course not!"

"I mean, it's obvious that you still have very deep feelings for the guy."

"No, no. I've just known him a long time and he's..."

"Always been there, always will be there," Chris interrupts.

Rory's conscience wins. She shouldn't be listening to this. She quietly goes back out the front door. Clearly her dad had found the character reference. She never did find out what Lorelai had written. All she knew was that the day after their trip to the Mall it was done and posted.

Unsure of what to do with herself she sits in her car. "What to do." Tapping the lid of a coffee pondering she decides to get out of the car and starts to walk back to the house. Indecisiveness hits again and she comes to a stop turning back to her car and hears the front door open.

"Rory?" Chris says.

Stopping in her tracks she says, "Dad. I was just..." she trails off not really sure what to say.

"Were you leaving? But, did you even come in?"

"Well I..."

"You have been in haven't you? You heard us?"

Rory nods yes. "I just thought I'd give you some privacy. I didn't really know what to do."

"Oh. Well you can go in. We're finished now anyway. I'm going out."

"Thanks." Stops a moment. "Where exactly are you going?" Rory asks incredulously.

"I don't know. I just need some space. My mom's maybe."

"Oh. When will you be back?"

"I don't know. Look I just need to..."

"You can't just leave Dad. I've never been married but I get the feeling that you shouldn't disappear just because of a fight."

"You don't under..."

"No! I don't understand." Rory's voice getting louder. "What makes you think disappearing solves anything."

Chris bows his head. "I don't know. I just want to get out of here."

"Well go for a walk around town. Get a beer for an hour to calm down. Don't just disappear. Come on, let's go for a walk. Here I got some coffee," Rory says handing him Lorelai's cup.

Chris takes the cup and they walk slowly towards town. He takes a sip of the coffee. "Mmm, you have really good coffee at Yale huh... Still hot how does...Oh," now knowing where it was from, "It's not from Yale."

"No," Rory says wondering how she'd got herself into this. She should have left the coffee inher car.

"Mmm. Seems like the place to get coffee today."

They walk quietly for a couple of minutes, neither really knowing what to say. Finally Rory breaks the silence.

"It was just a character reference you know. He needed it. They were going to stop him seeing his daughter."

Chris reeling at the fact she knows what they were fighting about says, "So you heard it huh?"

"Well, I got the gist before I came back out. I knew about the court case and everything. I just don't think you should get upset about it. It's bigger than that. April needs...and..."

"Couldn't he have got someone else to do it?"

"I don't know how much you know about Luke but he's not really a people person. He doesn't really have too many friends. His sister wrote one but she's a bit crazy and it wasn't really appropriate."

"Well maybe his daughter will be better off then. Doesn't sound like he'll be a good..."

"You better stop right there." Rory says sharply. "You don't even know him. You know nothing about him. Oh my God I can't believe you just said that. Luke is... I can't believe I'm here trying to make you feel better and you say these things about Luke. Maybe you should just disappear. Go to your mothers."

"So Lorelai wasn't lying in her letter then?"

"What?"

"It's not the just the fact she gave a character reference it's what's in it. Some of it's about you."

"Oh, you read it?"

"Yeah. I found it today. Curiosity got the better of me." He takes the piece of paper from his back pocket. "Here you may as well just read it. I have no Idea why I took it out. It's not mine. Maybe I felt like I needed to keep the evidence or something. Makes no sense."

As they reach the gazebo Rory unfolds the paper as they sit down and Rory starts to read. Chris leans forward with his head in his hands while Rory reads.

_To whom it may concern,_

_In the nearly 10 years that I have known Luke Danes, I have come know him as an honest, and decent man. He's also one of the most kind and caring person's I have ever met. I am a single mother, and I raise my daughter by myself, but once Luke Danes became my friend in this town, I never really felt alone. Luke and I have had our ups and downs throughout the years, but through it all, his relationship with my daughter Rory, has never changed. He's always been there for her no matter what. He was there to celebrate her birthdays, he was there cheering her on at her high school graduation. Luke has been sort of a father figure in my daughter's life. With his own daughter Luke wasn't given the opportunity to be there for her first 12 years, but he should be given that opportunity now. Once Luke Danes is in your life, he's in your life forever. I know from personal experience what an amazing gift that is, and not to allow him access to his daughter, would be to seriously deprive her, of all this man has to offer, and he offers so much. Thank you for your time, sincerely,_

_Lorelai Gilmore._

Rory can't help but smile as she reads. She knows it's all true. It confirms her inkling that her mother was not really happy with Chris. She folds the paper on finishing.

Chris turns his head and sees that she's finished. "So. See how I can't help but think that I'm your mom's second choice."

"I'm sorry Dad. I think you may be right," Rory says.

Nodding Chris saying, "It felt like things were going OK for a while but then. But then..." trailing off.

"Mom can put on a good act. Fooling herself as much as anyone else I think. I'm sorry. I should have done something. I could see that there was a spark gone from her eyes."

"So I'm not crazy. I wish I was." They sit in silence for a moment then Chris continues, "What about you? Am I your second choice too?"

"Dad!"

"No. Just tell me. Be brutally honest. I need to know exactly where everyone stands. What do you think about Luke?"

Just then Lane came wobbling towards them. "Hey Rory!" she said brightly.

"Hi, how's it going?"

"Oh, you know, same old routine," she says rubbing her stomach. "Hey Chris."

"Hey," he replies quietly.

Lane turns her attention back to Rory. "I saw you and thought I'd give you this. It wasn't needed in the end." She passes her an envelope.

Giving her a what-are-you-thinking look Rory takes the envelope. "Oh yeah, I figured thanks." Quickly she put it in her coat pocket.

Not thinking anything of it Lane says. "Okay. Well I'll be wobbling back. I'll be closing up shortly. Hey, when did you get them coffees. Where was I?" looking at the cups.

"Oh, you were out back asleep. I just helped myself. I rung it through the till."

"Damn. That seems to keep happening. Maybe I should start my maternity leave. Luke keeps telling me to take the time off but I just get bored. OK, well, see you later."

"Bye," "Bye," Chris and Rory say together.

"Well she look about ready to drop. What's in the envelope?" Chris asks.

Rory takes a deep breath and looks to the ground. "Oh, nothing."

"Come on it must be something. Why did lane have it?"

"Because she works at the diner."

"So..."

Beat Rory decides to fess up. "OK, so Mom was having writer block and the court case was getting close. I wrote a reference just in case Mom didn't get hers in on time. I gave it to Lane. She kept up to date on thing and got the address so she could send it in if Mom didn't get there in time. Well as we know Mom's did so I guess it's not needed."

Chris bowed his head. It was all so clear now. He had been a fool believe she was still the 16 year old who was excited every time he turned up. The masochist on him however kept going. "So that brutal honesty I requested. There's an easy uninhibited way to give it me."

"What?"

"Let me read it. I won't hold anything against you."

"Oh Dad. I'm not sure that's a good idea. Why do this to yourself?"

"I can't explain it. I just feel like I need to know. Like if I need get the whole picture. Whatever's in the letter I'd rather know than living foolishly in ignorance."

Rory acquiesced. "OK, but remember someone saying they like one person does not mean they don't like someone else."

Chris opened the envelope and began to read.

_To whom it may concern,_

_I met Luke Dane when I was eleven years old. My mother took us into his diner shortly after moving into our new home. At first he may come across as grumpy and uninterested with his monosyllabic way. He however very quickly taught me that the adage about books and their covers is 100% true. Being a one parent household money was tight and our new home was faltering. Luke was quick to offer help even though my mother insisted on irritating him by calling him 'Duke'. He would come and fix things at our house saving us a fortune. For my 12th birthday he made me bookshelves for my bedroom which I treasure to this day. He'd help me with homework in the diner when my Mom was working late giving free pie when I got frustrated with it (It's a rule apparently). From the day we walked into the diner we never felt like we had to do it alone._

_As I got older and began dating he would always give my boyfriends a hard time. Even his nephew, who got a stern talking to when we started dating. When he and my mother began dating I worried what would happen if things did not work out. If he'd stop being in my life. Well things did not work out but he has not changed at all. He still looks out for me. Still sends my favourite coffee and burgers when I haven't had a chance to get back home in a while. Still tells me to wear warmer clothes and that junk funk will kill me (even though he serves it – I think I can let that contradiction go). It's proved that whatever else goes on he will always be in my life._

_It breaks my heart that he was deprived of his daughter for 12 years. Having met April it breaks my heart even more that she missed out on knowing her father. His nephew, Jess and I have been on the receiving end of his wonderful fatherly love when he had no obligation to offer it. So I find the thought of him not offering it to his own child 12 years ago laughable. The thought of anyone who knows him not thinking he would be a good father is abhorrible. He already is a great father to me, and he's already developed a good relationship with April. If I could re-invent the legal system this court case would be to decide on the punishment for keeping a wonderful man from his daughter for 12 years. The thought of keeping him from his daughter should not have even been considered by anyone._

_Rory Gilmore._

Rory watched him read the letter his face still bereft of emotion. Upon finishing he sat quietly for a minute and then passed the paper back to Rory. He nodded solemnly before starting to say something but stopping.

Seeing no sign of him attempting again Rory said, "I didn't think you'd ever read it. I had to make sure he had a reference. They're trying to keep him from his kid."

"But you meant it all?"

"...Yes."

"So I guess you liked them being together?" Rory nodded.

"So now? With me here? Different?"

"Dad, I do love you. I do. Having you here is nice. It is different though. To be honest it feels more like we have a guest than anything. A welcome guest, but it does feel a bit unnatural. I have to say it feels a bit like playing house. I guess these things can't be forced. We've never really spent an extended amount of time together. With Luke we'd seen him multiple times pretty much every day since I was 11. It's bound to be different. But Dad, you could have been there. You chose not to be."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I know I was a crappy dad. I just... I didn't know you and he... I just thought he was Lorelai's boyfriend. I didn't think... Like at your grandparents vowel renewal. I had a go at him for being protective over you. I bet you all thought I was a fool. I bet you thought it was me that didn't have the right."

"Well I was too angry with you for going against my wishes to think about that. You did do exactly the opposite of what I asked you to. When I came to see you I though the worst you'd do is cause trouble inadvertently but you actually went out of your way to cause it. Mom was devastated for weeks."

"I guess I don't have such a good track record. I guess I should have figured then. Not many daughters tell their dads to stay away for their mothers boyfriends."

Silence again passed over the pair. "Well. I think I probably should go to my Mothers after all. I think I ought to sleep on all if this before I speak to your mom," Chris said after a minute.

"OK. What do you think is going to happen?" Rory asked.

"I don't know kid. At the moment I'm thinking it'll be best if I get out of the way. I don't want to be her second choice. I think you know as well as I do that he's still in love with her. Maybe if I'm out of the picture..."

"Yeah. Maybe. Maybe that would be best. We'll still see each other though? I mean, I think we should. More than before you and Mom started dating this year."

"Yeah, that would be nice," Chris said with a small smile.

Rory smiled. "OK. Well I'm going to go see Lane, maybe help her close up. I think she'd appreciate the help with all that weight she's carrying."

As they both stood Chris said, "OK. Well I'll hopefully see you soon."

"Bye Dad," Rory said as she hugged him.

"Bye Rory."

Rory made her way to the diner as Chris walked to his car before driving to his mothers.

**Response to challenge below....**

**What if Rory was home and over heard and or saw the fight that Chris and Lorelai had when Chris found Lorelai's letter to Luke what would she say what would Lorelai say what would Rory say to Chris you finish the story**

**Since Rory is the only difference from the original episode and the fight was about Luke I made this about Luke and Rory without any actual Luke.**


End file.
